Footage of tanks rolling through Iraq, distressing scenes of bloodshed and prisoners of war, and foreign correspondents risking their lives to bring the news into Australian lounge rooms is only one part of the story.

A vital part of this televised war is studio hosts interviewing expert commentators to break down the military jargon and give informed comment and analysis on defence, strategy and politics in the Middle East.

The former military personnel and think-tank organisations not only aid the viewer's understanding of a complex and emotive issue, but play an essential role in adding kudos to the networks' drive for in-depth war coverage.

The ABC's head of news and current affairs, Marco Bass, said the broadcaster had hundreds of contacts to choose from and opted for those with knowledge, credibility and the ability to communicate - essential skills during war when official information was in short supply.

"In a live war situation, there has to be a lot of second-guessing and educated speculation as to what's occurring," Mr Bass said.");document.write("

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"Experts who have detailed knowledge and experience in prior roles can give you an awful lot of insight that you're not going to get any other way."

Working through what is known as "the fog of war" - either the lack of information or misinformation - is one of the challenges faced by one commentator, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Aldo Borgu. "There is a lot of contradictory stuff coming through so you've really got to sort through, in your judgement, whether something has some substance and it's been corroborated or not," Mr Borgu said.

"A perfect example is Basra. There were reports saying Basra has fallen and then Basra hasn't fallen. Then US forces left Basra and now they're coming back again.

"You've just got to be careful in not getting sucked into a quick reaction to a particular story that may or may not have any substance."